Black Friday bargain hunters beware

Diane King

UK bargain hunters have been warned that many of the Black Friday deals on offer may not be all they seem.

Consumer watchdog Which? found that 49 per cent of the deals in 2015 were not at their cheapest on Black Friday.

As few as eight per cent of the special offers were deals made especially for the day itself. However, more than 10 per cent of had been cheaper at some point in the three months leading up till Black Friday.

And as many as four in 10 dropped in price following the ‘big day’.

Which? tracked a total of 178 deals on on 20 popular types of tech gadgets and home appliances from AO, Amazon, Argos, Currys and John Lewis over a five-month period around Black Friday, and found that only 90 were at their cheapest on the day.

Alex Neill, managing director of Which?, said: “That doesn’t mean there aren’t good deals to be had. Just that we have to be canny.

“So make sure you know what it is you want, check current prices, get yourself signed up to retailers’ online sites to beat the rush on the high street, and if you’re not convinced you’re getting a good deal then wait for the post-Christmas sales.”

The watchdog also offered the following advice:

Sign up for retailers’ newsletters, ‘like’ their Facebook pages and register for Twitter alerts, as they’ll be keen to publicise their best deals.

Research products online. We’ve got lab test results for thousands of products on our website, so find out which products are best for you and your budget.

Visit price checker websites and make a note of how much your desired items currently cost. Check whether retailers will let you buy online and pick up later so you can miss the crowds.